More road transport, mobility mean more crime

“Road transport is going to grow exponentially in the next 20 years,” FBI Crime Analyst Christie Palazzolo reminded as she was talking about the US national database Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP)’s effort since 2004 to solve serial crimes committed along and/or near US roads. According to data collected through the Highway Serial Killings (HSK) Initiative, FBI analysts have listed more than 750 murder victims and nearly 450 potential suspects.

A majority of the suspects would be long-haul truck drivers whose profession would be quite ideal for serial killing while a majority of the victims would be truck-stop prostitutes. “The amount of ground they cover and the lack of any connection to where they’re passing through makes it difficult to tie cases back to them,” explained Palazzolo. As a result, the more mobile killers can be, the more difficult it is for law enforcement to identify, indict and apprehend them.